Reclosable box



Dec. 6, 1938. w JOHNSON 2,139,021

RECLOSABLE BOX Filed Nov. 30, 1,936

\JOI/ lid/077x07: Edward WJo/zrwom Patented Dec. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES 2,139,021 i RECLOSABIE BOX Edward W. Johnson. Chicago, Ill., assignor to Chicago Carton Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application November 30, 1936, Serial No. 113,458

4 Claims. '(CL' 229-51) This invention relates to improvements in boxes or cartons and has particular reference to an improvement in paper boxes which are normally sealed closed and require the tearing of some portion of the box or separation of scaled flaps for opening purposes.

The main object of the-invention is to provide in a box of the type indicated, means for facilitating removal or dispensing of the contents of the box while also providing means for effectively reclosing the box. In general, it is the object of the invention to provide a simple but efficient reclosable box construction in which the reclosing arrangement is such that the box will effectively remain closed when it is so desired.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood by reference to the following specification and drawing, wherein there is illustrated a reclosable box embodying a preferred form of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are perspectives showing a typicalbox provided with means for facilitating opening and reclosing of the box in accordance. with the present invention, Fig. 1 showing the box in its initial condition, Fig. 2 showing the box when opened, and Fig. 3 showing the box when reclosed; and

Fig. 4 is a plan showing a blank for forming the box illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3.

Referring now to the drawing, a box embodying the improvements herein contemplated may be formed from a paper board blank such as illustrated in Fig. 4. The blank is suitably cut, creased and slitted to provide front and back wall panels 5 and 6, respectively, opposite side or edge panels I and 8, and top and bottom end closure flaps 9 and II) respectively.' A gluing flap II is also formed integral with the free edge of one of the said walls, in this case the back wall 6 and in the process of setting up the box, a stripe I! of suitable glue or other adhesive is applied to the flap II as indicated.

The blank shown in Fig. 4 is bent on the various crease or fold lines indicated to form a rectangular box, the top and bottom end flaps 9 and Ill being folded and glued in overlapping relation as well understood in the art.

The front wall portion 5 of the blank is provided with a pair of transversely extending score lines 13 and II respectively, the said score lines being preferably spaced from each other a distance equal to the width of the opposite side walls I and 8, i. e., the dimension of the box transversely of the plane of the front wall 5. Of the trans verse score lines l3- and I4, the uppermost score line I3 is preferably located in the place of the crease line on which the contiguous upper end forming flap 9 is folded to form the upper end closure. The-crease line l3 extends from side 5 to side of the front wall panel 5. The crease line [4 is extended beyond the opposite edges of the front wall panel 5, and as indicated at l6 and I1 respectively, traverses the opposite side walls 1' and 8. The side walls 1 and 8 are also provided 10 with additional'score lines designated l8 and [9 respectively, which extend across said walls from the upper front corners ofthe .respective side walls to the rear edges thereof substantially as shown. As clearly shown, the score lines l8 and 15 I9 are, in efiect, continuations of the upper score line l3 in the front wall but disposed at an angle to said score line 13. The score lines [6 and 18 have their outer ends extended to the free edge of the side wall I and the score lines l1 and I9 20 have their outer ends terminating substantially in the crease line between the back wall 6 and the adjacent side wall 8. It will be apparent that the score lines indicated facilitate the removal by tearing of a strip of the box mate- 25 rial from three sides of the box, namely the two narrow opposite sides and the front wall.

When the box is initially set up it assumes the appearance indicated in Fig. 1. The narrow side wall I is disposed outwardly of the glue flap ll so that the free end of the removable strip portion between the score lines I6 and I8 may be readily lifted to initiate the removal of the strip. To facilitate gripping of the free end 20 of the removable strip, the blank may be so cut that -35 the free end of said strip projects slightly beyond the normal line of the adjacent edge of the blank and the edge portion of the blank on opposite sides of said free end may also be cut back or recessed slightly as indicated at 2|, 21. By this 40 means the free edge portion 20 of the removable strip is given a lip or tab-like effect. The opposite edge of the blank, i. e., the free edge of the glue flap l -I will be notched and slightly humped -on opposite sides of the notch as indicated in Fig. 45

4, but inasmuch as the glue flap II is disposed inwardly of the side wall I, such irregularity is concealed and of no consequence. Also, it will be observed that by applying the adhesive in a narrow stripe disposed intermediate the width 50 of the glue flap II, the free tab end 20 of the removable strip will be free of attachment to the underlying glue flap so that it may readily be pulled away from said flap to initiate tearing along the lines 16 and I8. The adhesive attach- 5s ment of the strip portion between the score lines l6 and I8 is sufficient to normally prevent unintentional separation of said strip portion from the flap, but weak enough to permit such separation when it is desired to remove the strip defined by the said scoring.

To open the box, the strip encircled by the scoring described is torn away from the box. The box will then have the appearance illustrated in Fig. 2, wherein the back wall remains intact and the normal end closure 9 overlies the cross-sectional area of the box. Also, the normal rectangular relation of the end closure 9 and the back wall 6 is maintained by reason of the remaining side wall portions designated 22 and 23, which connect the said end closure and back wall and resist relative folding or bending of the same.

.The back wall 6 is provided with a transversely extending crease or fold line 24 which is preferably in the plane of the score lines. l4, l6 and I7. When it is desired to close the box the back wall 6 is bent along the fold line 24 to cause the upper end portion of the back wall, i. e., the portion above the fold line 24 to assume a position overlying the cross-sectional area of the box, substantially as illustrated in Fig. 3. The normal upper end wall 9 of the box will then assume a position parallel to and-overlapping the then upper end portion of the front wall 5. The side wall portions 22 and 23 which maintain the angular relation of the end closure 9 and upper back wall portion, embrace the respective sides I and 8 of the box and frictionally engage the same so as to effectively maintain the parts in the folded condition illustrated in Fig. 3. To again open the box, it is merely necessary to unfold the closing structure to restore the box to the condition shown in Fig. 2 wherein the opening left by the removal of wall portions from the front and side walls constitutes a dispensing opening. It will also be apparent that the upper end structure may be folded rearwardly to permit free pouring of the contents of the box directly into the hand or a receptacle when desired.

The described structure while being very simple to make, requiring no special machinery or other equipment, is highly eflicient for its purpose. It is preferable that the arrangement-be such that the reclosed box will have a squa1 e ;.end as illustrated, but it will be apparent that itmay be modified in this respect and other changes may" be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which should be determined by reference to the following claims, the same being construed as broadly as possible consistent with the state of the art.

I claim:

1. In a reclosable paper box which is of substantially rectangular form and normally sealed closed, a line of scoring traversing three sides of the box adjacent the top. end thereof, a second line of scoring spaced from said first line and traversing the same sides of the box, the portion of said second line whichtraverses the intermedi-- ate of said three sides being disposed adjacent the top end of said intermediate side and-the spacing between said score lines in said intermediate side approximating the dimension of the box transversely of the plane of said intermediate wall, said score lines facilitating removal of a strip of the box material from said three sides, whereby a dispensing opening is formed in the box adjacent its top end and the wall portion opposite said dispensing opening is adapted to be folded to position crosswise of the box in the: plane of said first mentiond score line, the normal end wall being caused to overlap a portion of said intermediate wall.

2. In a reclosable paper box which is of substantially rectangular form and normally sealed closed, a line of scoring traversing three sides of between said score lines in said intermediate side approximating the dimension of the box transversely of the plane of said intermediate wall, the portions of said second score line in the oppositely disposed walls extending angularly from the ends of said second score line portion in the intermediate wall towards the respectively adjacent ends of the first mentioned score line, said score lines facilitating the removal of a strip of the box material from said three sides, whereby a dispensing opening is formed in said intermediate wall of the box adjacent its top end and the wall portion opposite said dispensing opening is .adapted to be folded to position crosswise of the box in the plane of said first mentioned score line, the normal end wall being caused to overlap a portion of said intermediate wall, the opposite side wall portions remaining in connection with said foldable back and end wall portions being adapted to overlap the respective opposite side wall portions of the box below said plane.

3. In a paper box which is of approximately rectangular form and which is normally sealed closed, a pair of score lines in opposite walls of the box, one of the score lines of each pair being substantially parallel to the upper end of the box and spaced therefrom approximately the dimension of the box in the direction of such score line,

. the other score line of each pair extending angularly from the upper front corner of the box, downwardly and rearwardly to the rear edge of the wall in upwardly spaced relation to the adjacent end of said parallel score line, and a pair of score lines in the front wall of the box respectively connecting the front ends of said pairs of some lines, substantially as and for the purpose having end extensions traversing the two side walls contiguous to said intermediate wall, and

means connecting said score lines so as to facilitate removal of the portion of said intermediate wall between said score lines, thereby to provide a dispensing opening in said intermediate wall, the portion of said side wall opposite to such dispensing opening being foldable into position crosswise of the box substantially in theplane of said second score line to close the box, said end wall of the box being thereby incidently caused to overlap a portion of said intermediate wall.

EDWARD W. JOHNSON. 

